The Runway Model
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Our award for the most stylish game, this year’s runway model is definitely Horizon: Zero Dawn. The land mass, character design, creatures, and technology are ridiculously unique and creative, and those qualities lift Horizon above an armload of stylish standouts including Watch Dogs 2, Cuphead, and Detroit: Become Human.
The Feels
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided – The Mechanical Apartheid Trailer
Is this not one of the best video game trailers you’ve ever seen? The feels flow freely through this live action piece of art, oozing style and emotion both visually and aurally. Just watch it, you’ll be blown away and even more excited for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. One of our most deserved 2016 E3 awards for sure.
The Jaw Dropper
Death Stranding
The hair on thousands of necks in the Shrine Auditorium stood at attention as Kojima’s silhouette made its way down the stage to reveal Death Stranding. The symbolism is obvious – a baby (Metal Gear) being ripped away from a father (Kojima) – but that didn’t stop the place from going completely nuts. Our jaws all dropped, and we hope this project turns out as weird as it looks like it will.
8-Bit Grit
Cuphead
Our award for best retro inspired game HAS to go to Cuphead. Channelling the very best of Contra and Mega Man, Cuphead is challenging and rewarding in the most retro way possible. It also looks stupidly gorgeous with its 30’s animation looks. Seriously, just GIVE US THIS GAME NOW!
Best Booth Carpet
Microsoft
Trade show attendees with tender tootsies appreciate a few things: water, coffee, any kind of food, and REALLY soft carpet. Microsoft’s carpet was a joy to stand on this year, and takes this award hands down.
Best Booth Design
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Although Mafia III‘s booth was completely off the hook, Nintendo’s whimsical attention to detail for Breath of the Wild – REAL grass, wood smoke scents, thunder and lightning, and more – won us over. Shout out to the Resident Evil 7 haunted house and Prey space station for EXCELLENT entries that made picking a winner for our 2016 E3 awards tough!
Best PR Crew
Ubisoft
As you may or may not know, a solid PR crew can turn the slog of a trade show into a pleasant experience. This year, Ubisoft Canada’s fantastic PR team gave us an insane number of opportunities to get our hands on their product, and are a total pleasure to deal with. They know who they are, and we couldn’t have covered as well as we did without them!
Best in Show
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
It’s the last of our 2016 E3 awards. TA-DA! Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be. Breath of the Wild is a sight to behold, combining classic Zelda gameplay with a whole whack of open world fun and things to do. The world seemed a bit sparse in places, but the magic of playing the game just couldn’t be denied. Breath of the Wild is our E3 2106 Best in Show.
